Tile-enamel process



' Aug. w, 1929. G, W. mm j Mmmm@ TILE ENAMEL PROCESS Filed mq.- 4e3, 1927 i tiles.

Patent-ed 13, 1929.

GEORGE w.` Knick, 0E Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TILELENAMEL PROCESS.

Application filed December 6, 1927. Serial No. 238,087.

This linvention relates to methods and means by which desired Colors or coloring is applied to decorate tiles vby the use of a stencil arrangement.

One of the objects of this invention is to simulate hand-painted or hand-decorated Another object is to facilitate the prodi-1c- Vtion of tiles of hand made appearance more economically thanhand-decorated tiles.

Another object is to facilitate the use o stencils. i

Another object is to make use of non-absorbing but elastic stencils of a certain thick* ness to allow a building up of coloring material upon the comparatively absorptive surface of a tile to stimulate l1and-decorat lng. n 1

Other objects willappearfrom the fol lowing description and appended claims as well -as from the accompanying drawing, in which The figure in the drawing is a general cross section through a tile with a stencil placed on the top to illustrate the process of applying decorating material on the surface of thetile byv means of a flexible stencil placed on the absorptive surface of the tile.

,The illustration is principally 'used to merely facilitate a description of the process and means, of accomplishing the result set forth hereafter, and it must be understood that the particular or peculiar stencil alone is not to be considered the sole matter of this invention.

In decorating tiles by hand, the ,coloring or other material is generally applied by hand and brush or 'other means to the various spots to be decorated, and such coloring is, as a rule, appliedcomparatively thick to assure a retaining of raised spots and surfaces on a tile, so as to retain the hand` decorated effect on the surface of a tile after the baking of the enamel or glazing material.

The more mechanical way of decorating by the use of stencils produces generall a too evenly spread appearance on the iinislsied baked enamel surface, inasmuch as stencils are preferably used of a thin type toavoid a passing of coloring material under the ed es of the stencils. v

tencils are, furthermore, preferred of a flexible type that can be pressed to the generally uneven vsurfaces of tiles. The stencils are, for this reason, selected of comparatively thin and exible material, as thin the edges to the underside yof the stencil, so

' as to make such stencil unsatisfactory, since the finished material is ulikely. to be unattractive on account of such undesired additional coloring on the surf Ice of a tile.

Heavier stencils, on the other hand, are entirely undesirable on account of the unevenness'of the surface of a tile.

Metal stencils are, for this reason, not at all suitable.

Flexible stencils of paper or other flexible material are,f furthermore, not exactly desirable for the reason that the real hand-decorated eifectcannot be produced with or by them.

It is actually necessary to have comparatively thick stencils which facilitate an application of a comparatively heavy layer of coloring material to the surfaces of tiles to simulate real Ihand-decorated tiles.

A simulating of real hand-decorated ytiles is made possible by following the method set forth hereafter. 0

Tile is comparatively absorptive. This quality Vis made use of to hold a. stencil snugly to the surface of a tile that 1s to be decorated. v

A stencil is preferably made of'a eXible material having non-absorbent surfaces, such as rubber. f

thin A very practical stencil construction is indicated in the drawing being madeiofsevtile, so that it is practically certain that no coloring material will pass between the stencil and the surface of the tile .while the coloring material is disposed in the openings of the stencil.

The comparatively thick structure of this sort of stencil, on the other hand, allows a `desired. heavy application or building up of coloring material on the surface of a tile.

On the other h/and, it is not likely that the underside of this sort of stencil becomes soiled easily, though even if the underside becomes soiled this may easilybe cleaned,

since the rubber surfacing makes it easy to remove any material from the stencil.

This stencil structure as a whole may easily be cleaned on the underside or the top, surface or vat the perforations or openings and thereby assures'th'e most perfect' use and the most 'perfect Work and facilitates a quick,

' and economical, and etlicient application of decorating material to the surface of tiles.

Such heavy stencil structure also allows a building up of coloring'inaterial in uneven lumps within the openings or perforations of the stencil in"-very much the same manner as in hand-decorating tiles though not at all requiring any skilled person for such decorating work, since stencils can lie prepared by artists ahead of the plain labor of the coloring of tiles in a shop or working place.

The process then consists. principally of wetting a stencil preparatory to placing the stencil' on the surface of al tile, thereby as- 'sui-ing a firm holding .of the whole stencil over the whole surface'of` a tile and thereby facilitating an application of comparatively heavy layers of coloringumaterial through the perforations of such a stencil, or causing drawing Yof the stencil by the applied colorme.

Ik coloring of tiles isin this manner made i more economical and practical to assure vent an undue stretching of the stencil so as to assure a correctness of application of the different colors through the different apertures or openings of a stencil.

The coloring is' either brushed or sprayed on through the stencil and built up to any desired elevation within any of the openings of the stencil as set forth above.

It must also be understood that generally the dampness of the coloring iuateiial will suffice to draw the non-absorbing stencil to the absorbing surface-of the tile.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. The method of coloring tiles by means of a stencil which consists in using a stencil made of tiexible, elastic, noli-absorbent outer layers and a non-elastic, absorbent inner layer of a certain thickness to allow an application of a comparatively heavy layer of coloring to simulate hand-decorating, dampening the underside of such a stencil to assure an adherence of every part of the stencil to the uneven top surface of a tile, and then applying the coloring material in an exceedingl y damp state through the stencil by building up the coloring material to various thicknesses to simulate hand-decorating and at the same time utilizing the excess dampneses of the coloring material to diaw and hold the stencil to the absorbent surface of the tile.

2. The method of coloring the surface of a tile which consists in applying an underglaze to the surface of a tile and before liring or setting the underglazing applying a stencil, a liquid being applied between the stencil and the surface of the tile preparatory to applying the stencil making use of the absorptive tendency of the tile to draw the stencil to the uneveen surface of the tile to prevent a creeping of coloring material under the stencil, and then applying coloring material in an exceedingly damp state through the stencil to a desired thickness and in any desired unevenness to simulate hand-decorating and at the same time utilizing the excess dampness of the coloring ma tei'ial to draw and hold the stencil to the absorbent surface of the tile.

GEORGE W. KRICK. 

